TOKYO, March 31. /ITAR-TASS/. South Korea’s military has opened fire in response to North Korea’s firing drills in the Yellow Sea. Seoul made such a move after one of North’s shells fell into the sea zone, controlled by South Korea.

Earlier, the North Korean (DPRK) armed forces on Monday launched an artillery exercise in the Yellow Sea (West Sea), the Kyodo news agency reported with reference to Seoul sources.

According to the report, shells have been falling into the water near a populated South Korean island on the border.

North Korea has informed South Korea on Monday about planned fire drills in the Yellow Sea near the country’s maritime border, a spokesman of the committee of the chiefs of Staffs of South Korean Armed Forces said.

The notification about forthcoming fire exercises was sent by fax. According to available reports, fire drills will be held in several districts situated near the Northern Limit Line that is actually the maritime border between two Koreas.

“North Korea demanded South Korea should control movement of warships at the moment of fire drills,” the Seoul military official said.